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Chinese research shows that playing light or happy music during motion sickness can effectively reduce the discomfort, and its effect is better than that of sad music and no music control groups.
Traveling by plane, train, bus, boat or car is a wonderful thing for most people, but for the one in three people who are “highly sensitive” to motion sickness, travel can be a nightmare. “Travel + Leisure” reported that a study found that as long as you choose the right music, you can significantly reduce the symptoms of motion sickness.
research by chinaHenan Published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, a research team from the Faculty of Science and Technology explored the effect of music on motion sickness and which styles of music are most helpful.
The team recruited 30 subjects to participate in simulated driving and collected their electroencephalogram (EEG) data, which measures the brain’s electrical activity. While the subjects were “driving,” the researchers recorded brain activity and created a computer model to determine when the subjects experienced motion sickness. When the model can reliably detect motion sickness, the team will test different types of music to see which music can reduce the discomfort.
They tested four styles of music, namely happy, sad, sentimental and soft, and compared them to a control group that did not listen to music and relied on natural retrieval. The results showed that soft and happy music had the best effect. Soft music reduced the incidence of motion sickness by 56.7%, while happy music reduced the incidence of motion sickness by 57.3%. The effects of exciting and sad music were sequentially worse, with the team specifically reporting that the soothing effect of sad music was even less than that of the control group. In other words, it’s best to leave the songs that will make you cry out of your playlist in the first place.
As far as the cause is concerned, the team reported that light music can relax people and relieve the stress that triggers motion sickness; Happy music can activate the brain’s reward system and distract people. As for sad music, it can have the opposite effect, increasing negative emotions.
The paper’s corresponding author, Dr. Qizong Yu of Southwest University in China, said motion sickness seriously affects many people’s travel experience, and existing drug treatments often have side effects such as drowsiness. Music is a non-invasive, low-cost and personalized intervention, he said.
The team acknowledged that the study had its limitations, including a small sample size and the fact that it was conducted only using automotive simulations. However, Dr. Yu said that the research results still provide a simple and easy-to-implement tip for travel: According to the research findings, people who experience motion sickness during travel can listen to loud or light music to relieve it. They also said that the main theoretical framework of the causes of motion sickness applies broadly to the discomfort caused by various modes of transportation, so the results of this study are likely to apply to motion sickness when flying or taking a boat.
Summary FAQ
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This research focuses on the effect of music on motion sickness. The results show that playing appropriate musical styles can significantly reduce the incidence of motion sickness. Among them, light and happy music has the best effect and can significantly reduce the incidence of symptoms.
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After testing four kinds of music styles: happy, sad, sentimental and soft, it was found that soft music can reduce anxiety by 56.7%, and happy music can reduce anxiety by 57.3%, which are the two categories with the best effect; Sentimental and sad music are worse.
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The research team believes that light music can help relax and reduce stress; Happy music can activate the reward system and distract attention; Sad music can increase negative emotions, making discomfort more pronounced.
